TC Electronic delivers infinite reverb for System 6000 MKII

Proving that it is still very much focused on reverb development, TC Electronic has debuted Reverb 8, a multichannel reverb described as ‘bringing world-class room simulation to new 3D sound formats’.

Only compatible with the System 6000 MKII mainframe, Reverb 8’s key appeal is the fact that it can be fed with any input signal (from mono to 7.1 and up), and deliver an infinite number of output channels, making it perfectly suited to current surround sound formats such as Dolby Atmos (62.2), Barco Auro (11.1) and NHK’s multichannel broadcast format Super Hi-Vision (22.2 surround).

Additionally, a single System 6000 MKII frame is capable of running two Reverb 8 instances, thereby delivering 16 channels, while multiple System 6000 MKII frames can be linked in a network to deliver virtually any channel-count. The flexibility of the algorithm has led Thomas Lund, TC’s chief technology officer for broadcast and production, to describe Reverb 8 as ‘the infinite "Lego brick" reverb’ that the company has long sought after.

Further benefits of the potentially huge channel count include conveying space in a more realistic manner, with the manufacturer promising to add ‘whole new colours to the mixing-palette’ including ‘the ability to add wild and imaginative spaces to even a mono source; where reverb on reverb is no longer an obstacle’.

Crucially, TC has also developed a user interface named the Grid which is intended to help users get to grips with the power of Reverb 8 ‘quicker, better and over a wider range than before’. Much of the process is automated, meaning that if the decay time is changed from 2s to 10s for all channels at an instant, the algorithm is capable of protecting the balance of a mix so there is no need to counter-adjust a multitude of other parameters.

Finally, the algorithm has been made downmix compatible to contend with how the dry/wet balance of a mix can sometimes change across format conversion. According to the manufacturer, a user can move from a 32-channel rendering to mono ‘without introducing phasing artefacts or altering the balance of a mix’.

In recognition of Reverb 8’s particular application within surround sound postproduction, the new algorithm was recently bundled with TC’s Film 6000 version of the System 6000 MKII. However, it can be purchased as a separate licence for any System 6000 MKII variant, including the Music 6000, Broadcast 6000 and Mastering 6000.

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